I am German and therefore not a native speaker. Think I figured out one or two English words on my own already.... ;)
but!
What really exactly highly sensitively does this oh so often used term "I don't drink" mean? Same thing of course with "must not drink"! All the (ladies') profiles seem to have it this or that way! :excited:
So, what does it mean? (I perfectly know what it translates though.) - What can I expect to be meant in between the lines?
1. No single drop of alcohol... EVER! (Grape juice for Lord's supper!)
2. I wont get drunk... EVER!
3. I just dont care about alcohol.
4.
5. I want a man who wont abuse me because he is drunk all the time... And if he ever is just snuffling in direction of a beer, he's such a goner!
Hi there, Eli. For me, it means that I never drink. I've had only a couple sips of alcohol ever. This is for medical reasons mostly. I am not opposed to the drinking of alcohol as long as it is done responsibly and within the bounds of Scripture. I would not want to be in a relationship with someone who drinks heavily and/or becomes drunk.
I am impressed! Never a sip of alcohol, thats interesting. Just thinking what you would do being around in France... lol
They drink wine all the time.
In bavarian Germany a beer does not really count as alcohol. You drink it at work, it is in the vending machines of their cafeterias etc... But thats extreme. Even for us northern Germans, no worries. :)
But you reminded me of another catchy definition. What exactly does "drunk" mean? For you, maybe it is everything beyond legal limit.
When I drank 1-2 glasses of wine, I am not totally sober, but I would never ever say that I am drunk. Especially because I would not act as drunk. Might hot have any effect on my behaviour at all - depends a little on daily form and what was going on.
I know families where it is normal to have a glass of wine at meals. Almost every day. A good wine with a perfect meal is like the whipped cream finish on a pie... :D
So how we get this pinned down?
Maybe this is important: I am not talking about any form of alcoholism here, and also not about drinking alcohol with the goal to get drunk.
Maybe this is an interesting question too:
For you, is there a difference between getting drunk while drinking wine together socially, and drinking only to get boozed?
You would do well to educate yourself on American culture. Beer to a German is as Fruit Juice to an American. Some Americans love beer as you do but most hold it with a certain disdain because of the way people who use the substance are viewed. i.e to escape from reality aka to get drunk or to rebel (mostly teens). Naturally this has shaped their Christian culture, just as it has shaped yours.
It should go without saying now that a lot of the ones who indulge in beer drinking are assumed "steeped" in one of those things listed above and they are viewed as a heavy partier, belligerent drunk etc. Naturally a Christian with a view of beer like that would try to separate themselves from that image by abstaining from the substance all together.
Personally, being that I rather independent thought and in addition do not consciously promote gun-ho national identity, would have a beer on occasion, some wine possibly. It depends on the occasion and everything in moderation of course.:waving:
For me, "I don't drink" means that I do not drink alcohol. Ever. Not one sip. The only alcohol that I've tasted was on a piece of bread dipped in wine during a communion service at a friend's church.
I don't necessarily think that having the occasional drink is a sin, but I do think that it can harm a Christian's testimony. So I choose to not drink.
When it comes to my search for a husband, I would prefer someone who feels the same way I do.
Good point Nyanda!! I too have not ever drank alcohol...well I guess Pixy admitted to a few sips...but anyway...to me it means does not drink. Whether that means that they use to but don't now of never have and never will.
Well, I've been blessed, I suppose you could say, with not really being around people who drink, for the most part. Generally, I lucked out w/ friends, college roommates, etc.
So, I guess I'm not sure where I would draw the line.
My boyfriend from last summer drank, but never around me. After we'd broken up, he went back to the DC/Baltimore area for government business for a couple months and I was hoping that would discourage any communication... Well, he would go out to clubs and such after work nearly every night and call me very obviously drunk. I guess I knew he was drunk because he'd start declaring his love for me (even though I know he barely even liked me really) one moment and then would be raging mad at me the next. Almost kinda bi-polar like, I guess, if I had to give it a term. And he would just be loud and a little slurry w/ his speech sometimes. It was very much unappreciated, to say the least, since we'd broken up on bad terms. Stuff like that is just obnoxious and unbecoming and not something I wish to put up w/.
To answer your other inquiry: "For you, is there a difference between getting drunk while drinking wine together socially, and drinking only to get boozed?"
I'm not sure. I wouldn't have a problem w/ my bf/hubby having a glass of wine in front of me, but would expect that he knew what his limit was and when he ought to stop. Drinking just to get boozed is very definitely a turn-off for me. I would liken it to smoking pot or using other street dugs. And I'd question why someone would feel the need to get drunk. If there was a stress issue, then perhaps learning some better ways to manage stress and anxiety would be in order...
This is interesting. You tell me that you never really had people around who were drinking alcohol at all... And I never had people around who did not drink alcohol at all. Obviously, the concepts are very different. You see alcohol same level as street drugs, like pot etc. - here it has its place on the daily menu.
About that boyfriend of yours - I think this is a form of alcohol abuse, precise: a special form of alcohol addiction, going out every night, getting boozed. They call it Alpha-type alcoholism (at least over here), or "alleviation drinking". I personally follow the threads of Lawrence Crabb, who names the old problem of men running from accountability or from things they cannot control. (Others would maybe just turn to workaholics - or MMORPG).
That drunk people do stupid things is wellknown. ;) and surely you can get used to a higher amount of alcohol without showing signs of severe intoxication. That maybe explains that your ex did not exactly prattle at you. Drinking large amounts of alcohol vastly reduces inhibition thresholds and so it is no wonder that he does that what he wants to do: Call you.
Thats what I believe. A person who is drunk is somehow the same person as before, just without some usual inhibitions. I know it is daring to say so but that is what I encountered, that is what I believe. The person is not changed by alcohol intoxication, only the means of self control they usually have are. And there it is: You have to know your limit. Most of the people I know and live with are people who drink some alcohol as a natural stimulant, a luxury food, an extra relish for meals or an evening with friends. Everything has its dose, of course. So many things are just trouble if you exeed your limits.
Nevertheless, I will think about all this some more.
one thing that interests me... what about eucharist? What do you folks use for supplying the Lord's Supper?
I agree w/ you regarding alcohol reducing inhibition thresholds. My thoughts on inhibitions are that are good things generally... Unless we're talking about being able to open up more to one's spouse emotionally or in the bedroom, then I think it's entirely appropriate to have some inhibitions. I believe that there are a multitude of verses/passages in Proverbs that speak to this sort of issue. A lot of our inhibitions stem from wisdom, discernment, sound judgment, etc...
